


Negotiations

by grappled



Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Alternate Universe - Warehouse 13
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-28
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-06 14:37:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4225650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grappled/pseuds/grappled
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short one shot. Opposing lawyers meet across the negotiation table.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Negotiations

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quickie, kind of relevant following recent equal marriage declaration in the U.S. (Yay! for you lot over there). I think this would've made for a good multi chapter scenario, but wanted to try short (concise!) and sweet.

It took her by surprise, she wasn't looking for it, and certainly not in the middle of negotiating a divorce settlement. 

Her client is an obnoxious investment banker, but she is the best, her fees are high, and he pays without question. So it's regrettable that when she steps into the boardroom of Lattimer & Nielson, she is presented with a conundrum. How to emerge from these talks with a satisfied client and a more than satisfied opposing counsel. Because when she sees Myka Bering stand, a reassuring hand briefly touching the arm of her client, Helena Wells thinks she might be a little bit in love. Myka is serious, passionate, dedicated, Amazonian. Helena wants to walk to her and push her hands into that barely tamed hair and discover how many ways their mouths could move together. Instead, her face is a mask, a disdainful, cocky air to intimidate those on the opposite side of the behemoth of a boardroom table. There is no intimidating Myka Bering, though, she sees through the bluster and she is going to stand firm for her client. At the end of this first meeting they each have a set of demands, and as the clients go their separate ways Helena steps in front of Myka before she can disappear to her own office.  
"You must know that we will not give you everything on your exhaustive list."  
Myka's expression is one of feigned confusion, "I know nothing of the sort."  
"We'll see" Helena says with a crinkle of her mouth and the look of annoyance that flashes across Myka's brow is reward enough for now.

The second meeting takes place at Helena's firm, and she sets up the meeting room so that when they are seated, Myka will have a direct line of sight to her legs. When she sees Myka's eyes flick downwards, first to her precariously unbuttoned shirt, then beyond to her bare calves, Helena decides to concede one point on the list. It's merely custody of the couple's rare breed cat, her client hates the creature, and so it's no concession at all. Myka stops her this time, with a casual arm across the doorway, "He detests the cat" she says. "He is heartbroken" Helena states with a pained expression, "that he won't get to serve up delightful smelling food or pick fur off his jacket every morning." Myka's mouth quirks, "The beach house" she says, before spinning so that the scent of strawberry wafts from her curls as they _almost_ brush Helena's face. "Oh bugger" Helena mutters under her breath as her knees go weak. 

"I'm not sure this is the best course" her client, McPherson, says firmly. "Believe me James" Helena soothes, "Give this up and we shall reduce the yearly alimony by 20%." His snake eyes widen, "Beachfront properties are ten a penny I suppose" he says. The door to the office opens as her assistant Leena leads in Myka and his soon to be ex, Sally. It's a warm day, and Helena sees that Myka has forgone her usual jacket and vest combo. Her crisp white shirt is rolled up above her elbows, and today her hair is pulled up tight so that Helena's eyes are drawn to her neck when she bends to place her bag at the side of her chair. _Fair play_ Helena thinks, before clearing her throat to propose a deal she expects Myka to laugh at. Oh, and laugh she does, and it's glorious. 

It escalates a week later, when Helena receives a phone call "I think we need to negotiate without our clients in the room" Myka says without preamble. "Agreed" Helena says, a slow smile breaking out, and Leena, who is stood across the desk gives her a knowing look. "You're glowing" she says once the call has ended and Helena just shrugs, "What can I say? Negotiations are going well."

Neutral territory, they decide, is a waterfront cafe bar for an early evening dinner. Myka is dressed casually in jeans and clingy v-neck sweater, Helena approves, and she is sure she detects an appreciative noise from Myka as she removes her jacket to reveal a fitted black sleeveless number. They talk about anything other than their clients while they eat, and it's easy. They lose their daytime personas, discovering a mutual love of literature and of finding ways to switch off from work - mainly fencing for Myka, Kenpo for Helena. "Maybe we should spar sometime" Helena says smoothly, "I would like to learn a few new skills." Myka ducks her head as a light blush spreads across her cheeks, "Sure" she says, "I'll warn you now though, fencing requires fantastic stamina."  
When coffees arrive, Helena can almost see the cogs turning before Myka Bering the lawyer returns. "So, your client is an asshole" she says. Helena laughs, "I can't deny it, but he is my client, and we all do the best we can for them, do we not?"  
"Hmm. An 8% reduction" she says. "In return for the beach property. That is more than generous."  
Helena's eyes narrow, "Hardly, that house is worth over $2million"  
"It is the one place he didn't have any of his three mistresses" Myka's green eyes are glaring at her now, a challenge to her sense of womanly solidarity. But Helena is a lawyer, and solidarity is a rare thing unless the right compensation is involved.  
"I'm not entirely convinced your client is a saint in all of this. Double it and we may be closer to an agreement" she draws slow circles on the table, her eyes never leaving Myka's. A click of disapproval leaves her lips, "Then we shall be disagreeing for a while yet, Helena." The way she says her name it holds regret, and Helena wishes she could cave. "So be it" her mouth is a firm line now and suddenly the last few hours are a distant memory. They part with a perfunctory handshake, they will return to the table in another week.

After three days, Helena decides that a week is a very long time. She turns up unannounced at the offices of Lattimer & Neilson, immaculately dressed, a new proposal in hand. Myka is in a meeting so Helena waits twenty minutes before she emerges from the boardroom. She's laughing at the man who walks alongside her, he looks like a goofball, and Helena feels a stab of jealousy. But she smiles her brightest smile. A front and a tactic rolled into one. Myka's laughter falters and peters out when she sees Helena, and with a nudge of her elbow the goofball has disappeared into the adjacent corridor. By the time she reaches Helena, Myka is all business "I hope that is a vastly improved offer you are holding, or we will be wasting precious time."  
"That depends on your point of view" Helena says as she follows into her office. _No time is wasted when it's with you_.  
A quick glance over the documents and Myka offers a small, crooked smile, "I guess it's a starting point" and she looks up with a glint in her eye. Helena feels the same urge she had the first time they met, but modern offices these days are not set up for clandestine advances, floor to ceiling windows are so inconvenient. "Shall we start tonight?" Helena says smoothly, or at least she hopes it's smooth. Myka's face suggests it was a little breathless and needy, but also _endearing_ and Helena will settle for that. "Sure" Myka says, and that is swiftly becoming Helena's favourite word.

Having dinner at a waterfront cafe it turns out, was not escalation. Arriving at Helena's apartment, fumbling for keys while Myka's back is pressed against the door and Helena plants insistent kisses to her neck. _That_ is escalation. Tugging at each other's shirts, fighting for dominance as they stumble into that apartment, is escalation. Not even reaching the bedroom, pushing court papers off a table, a strategically placed thigh eliciting amazing noises from Myka's throat. _That_ is escalation. In the bedroom, Myka re-opens negotiations. "8%" she says, as she kisses her way from just below a breast, down Helena's stomach and tantalisingly along the edge of black silk. A low chuckle from Helena makes Myka growl and dig her fingers into hips, bringing her back up to eye level. "Would you like to make a counter offer?" she whispers into the sweat slicked skin of Helena's neck, sending shivers from top to toe. Helena fights not to instantly concede anything and everything to the woman above her, and instead pushes her flat palms into Myka's hips and flips them over. "15%, as already suggested in writing" she nips at Myka's clavicle, then with teeth and tongue marks the intent in her skin. Myka's breathing hitches, she holds Helena's head against her chest, demands to be marked again. "9" she gasps, arching up when Helena's mouth sets to work and then, when Helena's fingers snake under to nimbly unclasp her bra, "percent". As they press back down, the feel of soft skin and hardened nipples has Helena hastily whispering against Myka's lips "14, no less, no less". She feels Myka smile into their kiss, "We'll see" echoing Helena's own words of a few weeks ago, before _she_ flips _Helena_ and makes her way slowly back down her taut, wanting body.

Their game is forgotten for a long while until much later in that time at the edge of dawn, an exhausted but happy Helena has a thought, "I think each of us has a conflict of interest now" she whispers into Myka's hair. Myka, whose head is resting on Helena's chest, an arm draped across her body, damp fingers resting lightly on her hip, whispers "I always did". Helena smiles, "You did?"  
"Oh yes...the way you walked into our offices like you owned the place, your _'we'll see'_ and that smirk..." Myka looks up at her, "I wanted to kiss it right off your face". Helena smirks, so that Myka has no choice but to enact her threat. "What is it about you?" she breathes into Helena's lips, and Helena's heart soars because Myka sounds like she feels. "What is it about us?" she replies and Myka just shakes her head, her eyes and mouth crinkle "I can't put it into words".

The next meeting turns out to be the final one, because between them they have thrashed out a compromise, and both clients are reasonably satisfied given the circumstances. Percentages, property and possessions pale into the background when Myka grabs hold of Helena's hand as they ride the elevator together. "Promise me we won't ever get a divorce, it's awful to watch, let alone..." Myka suddenly blurts and Helena turns to see her staring straight ahead, shocked it seems that these thoughts have tumbled from her mouth. Helena's stomach is leaping at the implication, but she opts for a teasing tone "Darling, is that a proposal?" Myka turns to her, and Helena sees vulnerability for the first time since she's known her. "Because if it was, or if ever, at some point in the future..." she hastily adds, squeezing Myka's hand and smiling, "It's non-negotiable - no divorce, ever".  
"What is it about us?" Myka smiles now, incredulous, and leans over to plant a kiss on Helena's cheek as the doors ping open. _'We both know the answer'_ Helena thinks, a wide grin on her face as they step out of the elevator hand in hand.


End file.
